The National Union of Mineworkers NUM has learned with shock that Eskom MEW department had booked employees in a hotel for two months doing nothing and hired an independent contractor to do their work.

"We were also informed that when employees which are our members reported these wasteful expenditures they were victimized and management decided to dissolve their team in Empangeni and make them report in office base whereas these employees are employed to build lines," said Vusi Manana, NUM Kwazulu-Natal Eskom Full-time shop steward.

This is the reason why Gezisa and other projects in UMhlabuyalingana are not complete.

We call on Monde Bala General Manager to demonstrate that he is leading the province and suspend both Deon Boshoff senior manager and Nontobeko Khuzwayo junior manager with immediate effect for taking reckless decisions.

NUM will meet these members and we want to warn Eskom that should they try to continue with the bullying tactic we will stop all provincial projects and no one must suffer for reporting wasteful expenditure.

Furthermore, we want to put it unambiguous that no employees will be moved from their base without consultation with us if that happens we will put the entire Empangeni zone on a standstill. We want to warn Eskom we are not scared to take them on.